J&K Admin Forcing People To Participate In ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ Campaign: Mehbooba Mufti

Mumbai: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti raised questions over the collection of money by the Jammu and Kashmir administration for the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign alleging that traders and shop owners are forced to deposit money for tricolours.

Peoples Democratic Party president Mufti and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Tarigami, both shared videos of loudspeaker announcements in south Kashmir’s Bijbehara town asking the shopkeepers to deposit ₹20 each for the tricolours till Monday noon.

“For the government’s Har Ghar Tiranga programme, every shopkeeper has to pay ₹20. All are requested by the district administration, Anantnag, to deposit the money by Monday 12 pm in the office where they get licences for trade. Those not depositing the money may face action. So to save yourself (from the hassle), you should complete this formality and pay the money,” the announcer can be heard saying in the video.

Mufti castigated the administration saying patriotism could not be imposed.

“The manner in which the Jammu and Kashmir administration is forcing students, shopkeepers and employees to pay for the national flag to hoist it is as if Kashmir is an enemy territory that needs to be captured. Patriotism comes naturally & can’t be imposed,” she said in a tweet.

https://twitter.com/MehboobaMufti/status/1551093536732225536?s=20&t=rG-1hBkvXuaUBin1WaoEAg

People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration spokesman and CPI(M) leader Tarigami questioned the administration’s claim that the campaign was voluntary.

“Div Com, Kashmir has said that #HarGharTiranga is a voluntary initiative. But, on the other hand, the local administration makes announcements on loudhailers asking traders to deposit ₹20 to buy Tiranga, and non-compliance may result in action. Whose writ runs, I wonder?,” Tarigami said in a tweet.

https://twitter.com/tarigami/status/1551083377515606016?s=20&t=rG-1hBkvXuaUBin1WaoEAg

Notably, the J&K Teachers’ Forum on Saturday alleged that teachers and students were being forced to pay money to buy the tricolour across Kashmir as part of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan’.

The DC had at the time clarified that there was no compulsion to contribute to the Har Ghar Tiranga movement. “It is a totally voluntary movement. There is no compulsion or insistence for anybody,” he had said.

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